Unisex nameCurrently #104 in the USFalling
Jordan
JOR-dun//ˈdʒɔːrdən//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19906 lettersStarts with J
Meaning & origin
To flow down, descend
Jordan comes from the Hebrew name of the river in which Jesus was baptized, its root meaning 'to flow down' or 'descend'. Medieval Crusaders brought back water from the river to baptize their children, giving rise to its use as a given name for both boys and girls.
Jordan's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Jordan |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 23 |
| 1881 | 18 |
| 1882 | 12 |
| 1883 | 17 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 17 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1887 | 12 |
| 1888 | 18 |
| 1889 | 7 |
| 1891 | 12 |
| 1892 | 12 |
| 1893 | 16 |
| 1894 | 16 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1896 | 10 |
| 1897 | 11 |
| 1898 | 7 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 11 |
| 1901 | 12 |
| 1902 | 6 |
| 1903 | 21 |
| 1904 | 9 |
| 1905 | 9 |
| 1906 | 9 |
| 1907 | 13 |
| 1908 | 13 |
| 1909 | 20 |
| 1910 | 13 |
| 1911 | 12 |
| 1912 | 31 |
| 1913 | 41 |
| 1914 | 53 |
| 1915 | 62 |
| 1916 | 36 |
| 1917 | 53 |
| 1918 | 46 |
| 1919 | 48 |
| 1920 | 75 |
| 1921 | 79 |
| 1922 | 54 |
| 1923 | 87 |
| 1924 | 96 |
| 1925 | 98 |
| 1926 | 90 |
| 1927 | 96 |
| 1928 | 89 |
| 1929 | 90 |
| 1930 | 78 |
| 1931 | 102 |
| 1932 | 76 |
| 1933 | 79 |
| 1934 | 86 |
| 1935 | 78 |
| 1936 | 68 |
| 1937 | 71 |
| 1938 | 65 |
| 1939 | 67 |
| 1940 | 57 |
| 1941 | 63 |
| 1942 | 63 |
| 1943 | 78 |
| 1944 | 77 |
| 1945 | 66 |
| 1946 | 72 |
| 1947 | 72 |
| 1948 | 68 |
| 1949 | 74 |
| 1950 | 76 |
| 1951 | 75 |
| 1952 | 82 |
| 1953 | 102 |
| 1954 | 109 |
| 1955 | 106 |
| 1956 | 106 |
| 1957 | 207 |
| 1958 | 192 |
| 1959 | 163 |
| 1960 | 143 |
| 1961 | 193 |
| 1962 | 183 |
| 1963 | 154 |
| 1964 | 175 |
| 1965 | 187 |
| 1966 | 221 |
| 1967 | 230 |
| 1968 | 196 |
| 1969 | 232 |
| 1970 | 289 |
| 1971 | 298 |
| 1972 | 265 |
| 1973 | 320 |
| 1974 | 408 |
| 1975 | 466 |
| 1976 | 612 |
| 1977 | 760 |
| 1978 | 1,173 |
| 1979 | 1,694 |
| 1980 | 1,992 |
| 1981 | 3,408 |
| 1982 | 4,005 |
| 1983 | 4,515 |
| 1984 | 5,134 |
| 1985 | 6,436 |
| 1986 | 9,387 |
| 1987 | 10,307 |
| 1988 | 10,618 |
| 1989 | 15,165 |
| 1990 | 22,094 |
| 1991 | 21,581 |
| 1992 | 19,399 |
| 1993 | 20,578 |
| 1994 | 20,420 |
| 1995 | 20,054 |
| 1996 | 20,151 |
| 1997 | 21,927 |
| 1998 | 21,524 |
| 1999 | 18,781 |
| 2000 | 17,977 |
| 2001 | 16,618 |
| 2002 | 17,304 |
| 2003 | 15,980 |
| 2004 | 14,007 |
| 2005 | 13,094 |
| 2006 | 13,481 |
| 2007 | 13,392 |
| 2008 | 11,750 |
| 2009 | 10,765 |
| 2010 | 9,981 |
| 2011 | 9,734 |
| 2012 | 9,250 |
| 2013 | 8,456 |
| 2014 | 8,213 |
| 2015 | 7,543 |
| 2016 | 6,798 |
| 2017 | 6,061 |
| 2018 | 5,536 |
| 2019 | 5,113 |
| 2020 | 4,986 |
| 2021 | 4,763 |
| 2022 | 4,545 |
| 2023 | 4,267 |
| 2024 | 3,885 |
Jordan through the decades
- Jordan peaked in 1990, when 22,094 babies were named Jordan in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Jordan has fallen 51% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Jordan currently ranks #104 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Jordy
Variants & spellings
Jourdan
Famous people named Jordan
- Michael Jordan — basketball player